Continuing our story from a previous post...Blackwater's trusty prop job ferried our band of milbloggers atop Virginia's rolling farmland and expansive waterways. We crossed into North Carolina, and soon we saw nothing but forest. We descended onto a remote landing strip.
Was that... a Cobra chopper alongside the flightline? Why, yes; I believe it was! I have a deep fondness for helo-birds, and the sight of this beauty induced a warm feeling inside me. I knew instantly: This was going to be good...
Our little group deplaned. We proceeded, wide-eyed, into the hangar. There we found ourselves inside the helicopter maintenance /refurbishment bays. The place was laid out like a life-size diorama, showing the progressive stages of helicopter reconstruction. At one end, a gun-metal gray hull awaited everything: paint; avionics; doors; flight controls; seats; the works. At the other end, a completed mil-bird appeared ready for service on behalf of a foreign country. In the middle, choppers sat berthed in various intermediate stages of assembly. A bevy of Blackwater mechanics attended the projects at hand. In one bay, the men carefully worked on an all-important rotor mount. Elsewhere, they adjusted a flight panel.
As our guides explained, Blackwater spruces up and repairs both fixed wing and rotary aircraft. They do this under contract for commercial and government clients alike. The helicopter hangar was but part of an operation that includes a whole lot of things avionic.
I've seen a few similar workshops in my day, and I must say, this place was mighty spiffy; as in, so clean you could pull off a Risky Business-type sock-slide across the floor. The last time I saw such a pristine aviation shop, I was after-hours inside the USAF Thunderbirds hangar at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, watching an airman slide down the fuselage of a slick-skinned F-16.
But I digress. That day at Blackwater, we bloggers exercised restraint. We kept our wild sides firmly in check. While still in the hangar, anyway. We did NOT climb into, onto, nor under the choppers. We did not attempt to use the rotor blades as a teeter-totter. We did not ask to use any mounted weapons. We remained neatly within the painted "travel lanes," and paid close attention to our guides. And yes, I will get to the "cowboy" part. But first, a bit more classwork...
TOMORROW: What on Earth is a Tucano, and what makes it so super?
2 comments:
Hey, you wanna keep your head wet with excitement.. you could always apply for lawn maintenance if you sign a non-disclosure contract swearing not to tell the secret of their greenways ( did I say Green & Blackwater in the same sentence?) I assume a contract will be issued forthwith.
Um, thanks for the comment, Eag... I think...
Post a Comment